SIZEN Nickel Manufacturer Excellence: Supplying Superior Nickel Metal Worldwide

Nickel Ore Mining

Nickel is extracted from laterite and sulfide ores through open-pit mining (for laterite) and underground mining (for sulfide).

Ore Crushing and Grinding

Mined ores undergo crushing and grinding to prepare for processing, separating nickel from waste materials.

Selective Flotation for Sulfide Ores

For sulfide ores, selective flotation is used to isolate nickel, creating a concentrated material that contains around 6-12% nickel.

Magnetic Separation and Leaching

Magnetic separation is sometimes used alongside flotation, followed by sulfuric acid or ammonia leaching to further purify nickel concentrate.

Smelting and Matte Production

Smelting in furnaces with oxygen produces a nickel matte, a mixture of nickel and impurities, with around 70-75% nickel content.

Extraction from Laterite Ores

Laterite ores are dried, smelted in electric furnaces, and then reduced to produce nickel oxide, which is further refined to obtain nickel metal.

Refining Methods (Electrorefining & Carbonyl Refining)

Electrorefining and carbonyl refining are used to achieve high-purity nickel, with carbonyl refining involving nickel carbonyl decomposition.

Shaping Processes

Refined nickel is shaped into bars, rods, and sheets through extrusion, cold drawing, and electroless nickel plating for uniform coating.

• Extrusion: Molten nickel is pushed through a die to form bars, rods, sheets, or tubing.
• Cold Drawing: Nickel tubes and wires are drawn through smaller dies at room temperature, reducing diameter without heat application.
• Electroless Nickel Plating: In an aqueous solution, nickel ions are deposited onto a substrate without electrical energy, creating uniformly sized and shaped nickel layers.